sensible mother, who never thought of
letting her learn to play on the piano, nor to dance, nor any
accomplishment useless to one in the rank she appeared destined to fill.
Her father was the owner and master of a small trader running between
London and Ramsgate. After I married I made two more trips to the Cape,
and on my return from the second I found my father-in-law on the point
of death. He made me promise to remain at home to take care of his
widow and daughter, and on these conditions made me over his vessel and
the goodwill of his trade. For some years I followed this line with
varied success, but I did not save much money, as my family increased
rapidly, and my expenses were proportionably heavy. I lost a
considerable part of my savings through the failure of my poor friend
Mr Wells, in whose hands my money was placed; but I did not repine at
this on my own account, for I considered that the lessons he had taught
me were of far more value than the amount of my wealth, but I grieved
deeply that he should be the sufferer. He was by this time an old man,
and his creditors allowed him a comfortable income till his death.

CHAPTER THREE.

THE VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA.

At length my vessel wore out, and I was compelled to build a new one.
She was a fine schooner of nearly sixty tons, and was a capital sea
boat. I ran her for about three years, but I found that she was almost
too good for the trade she was engaged in. At this time I met with an
old shipmate who had made several trips to New South Wales, or, as it
was then called commonly, to Botany Bay, and he gave me glowing accounts
of the success of some of the free settlers who had gone out there.
This made me think about the subject and set to work to collect
information from all the people I met who knew anything about the
country. One and all combined in asserting that it was a very fine
country, and that large fortunes were to be made in one way or another,
but they chiefly spoke in praise of the fine pastures for sheep which
existed. From what I could pick up, however, I surmised that the sheep
in general were of a very inferior quality, and that if some of the best
breeds could be introduced, not only would the colony be benefited, but
the person who brought them over. For some weeks I turned the subject
in my mind. I had plenty of time to think about it in my passages up
and down the river when obliged to bring up for the tide, and at last I
b